The Gazebo on the Grave: The Story of Nacoochee Mound

Drive through the Nacoochee Valley south of Helen and you'll see a grassy mound topped by a white gazebo. It's one of the most photographed spots in the area, and the picture hides a long story: a Native American earthwork, a 1915 excavation that found 75 burials, a Victorian-era gazebo, and a love story that locals tell as a legend. Here's what we can say about each.

The short answer

The Nacoochee Mound is a Native American platform mound about 2 miles south of Helen. You can see it from the road for free; don't climb it, because it's a protected archaeological site. The gazebo dates to the late 1800s and was added by a member of the Nichols family. The Romeo-and-Juliet story attached to it is a legend.

The mound at a glance

What the 1915 dig found

The 1915 excavation, sponsored by the Museum of the American Indian, found 75 burials. Many held high-status goods such as hammered copper, conch shell beads and cups, and elaborate pottery, which point to trade over long distances. The dig also found signs that the mound was built in at least two stages. Our Nacoochee Mound guide and the New Georgia Encyclopedia go further. Some historians have proposed that a village here was the Guaxule that Hernando de Soto visited in 1540, but the identification is debated. For the full story of that dig, including the owner's clause about any gold, read The gazebo on the burial mound.

The gazebo

The white gazebo has nothing to do with the mound's builders. Wikipedia dates it to about 1890 and credits a member of the Nichols family, the same family that built the 1870 mansion across the road at Hardman Farm. Sources differ on details, so we've stuck to the date and the family. It's a reminder that the mound was a farm landmark long before it was a tourist one.

The love story (a legend)

Locals tell it this way: Nacoochee, a chief's daughter, loved Sautee, a warrior from an enemy people. After her father had Sautee thrown from Yonah Mountain, she leaped after him, and the two were buried together at the mound. It's a story, not a record. The visitors bureau says the graves were in most probability placed long before the Cherokee lived here, so the tale can't describe the mound's original builders. The valley and the nearby community do carry the names.

Visiting

The mound is about 2 miles south of downtown Helen on the highway through the valley. Pull off safely if you stop for photos, and don't climb or walk on it. Hardman Farm across the road is open daily 10 to 4 from March to December (Thursday to Saturday in January and February), with grounds at $7 and mansion tours Thursday to Saturday. Combine it with Nora Mill and the other regional history at Auraria, and for more legends read about Crybaby Bridge.

Make it a half day in the valley

The mound is the valley's most photographed spot, but it works better as the start of a slow loop. Hardman Farm sits across the highway on 173 acres. Captain James Nichols built the 1870 mansion, and later owners included Calvin Hunnicutt and Dr. Lamartine Hardman, who served as Georgia's governor from 1927 to 1931. The property was donated to the state in 1999. Leashed pets are allowed on the trails but not inside buildings.

Our Sautee Nacoochee Valley guide and the Hardman Farm page have the current hours and admission.

Seeing the mound respectfully